Method of producing semiconductor chip, and mask-integrated surface protective tape used therein

Abstract

A method of producing a semiconductor chip, including the following steps (a) to (d): (a) a step of, in the state of having laminated a mask-integrated surface protective tape on the side of a patterned surface of a semiconductor wafer, grinding the backing-face of the semiconductor wafer; laminating a wafer fixing tape on the backing-face side of the ground semiconductor wafer; and supporting and fixing the wafer to a ring flame; (b) a step of, after peeling the surface protective tape thereby to expose the mask material layer on top, forming an opening of a street of the semiconductor wafer; (c) a plasma dicing step of segmentalizing the semiconductor wafer by a plasma irradiation to singulate it into semiconductor chips; and (d) an ashing step of removing the mask material layer by the plasma irradiation.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of producing a semiconductor chip, comprising the following steps (a) to (d):
 (a) a step of, in the state of having laminated a mask-integrated surface protective tape comprising a substrate film, a temporary-adhesive layer provided on the substrate film, and a mask material layer provided on the temporary-adhesive layer, on the side of a patterned surface of a semiconductor wafer, grinding the backing-face of the semiconductor wafer; laminating a wafer fixing tape on the backing-face side of the ground semiconductor wafer; and supporting and fixing the wafer to a ring flame; 
 (b) a step of integrally peeling both the substrate film and the temporary-adhesive layer from the mask-integrated surface protective tape thereby exposing the mask material layer on top, and thereafter forming an opening by cutting a portion of the mask material layer corresponding to a street of the semiconductor wafer with a laser; 
 (c) a plasma dicing step of segmentalizing the semiconductor wafer on the street by a plasma irradiation to singulate it into semiconductor chips; and 
 (d) an ashing step of removing the mask material layer by the plasma irradiation. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of producing the semiconductor chip according to  claim 1 , wherein at least the temporary-adhesive layer of the mask-integrated surface protective tape is radiation-curable, and the step (b) comprises a step of curing the temporary-adhesive layer by irradiating a radiation thereto, before integrally peeling both the substrate film and the temporary-adhesive layer thereby to expose the mask material layer on top. 
     
     
       3. The method of producing the semiconductor chip according to  claim 1 , wherein, in the step (c), the plasma irradiation is a fluorine compound-plasma irradiation. 
     
     
       4. The method of producing the semiconductor chip according to  claim 1 , wherein, in the step (d), the plasma irradiation is an oxygen plasma irradiation. 
     
     
       5. The method of producing the semiconductor chip according to  claim 1 , which comprises a step (e) of picking up the semiconductor chip from the wafer fixing tape, after the step (d). 
     
     
       6. The method of producing the semiconductor chip according to  claim 5 , which comprises a step (f) of transiting the picked-up the semiconductor chip to a die bonding process, after the step (e). 
     
     
       7. A mask-integrated surface protective tape used in the method of producing the semiconductor chip comprising the following steps (a) to (d),
 wherein the mask-integrated surface protective tape comprises a substrate film, a temporary-adhesive layer and a mask material layer formed on the substrate film in this order, and 
 wherein an etching rate of the mask material layer by a SF 6  plasma is lower than an etching rate by an oxygen plasma: 
 (a) a step of, in the state of having laminated a mask-integrated surface protective tape on the side of a patterned surface of a semiconductor wafer, grinding the backing-face of the semiconductor wafer; laminating a wafer fixing tape on the backing-face side of the ground semiconductor wafer; and supporting and fixing the wafer to a ring flame; 
 (b) a step of integrally peeling both the substrate film and the temporary-adhesive layer from the mask-integrated surface protective tape thereby exposing the mask material layer on top, and thereafter forming an opening by cutting a portion of the mask material layer corresponding to a street of the semiconductor wafer with a laser; 
 (c) a plasma dicing step of segmentalizing the semiconductor wafer on the street by a plasma irradiation to singulate it into semiconductor chips; and 
 (d) an ashing step of removing the mask material layer by the plasma irradiation. 
 
     
     
       8. The mask-integrated surface protective tape according to  claim 7 , wherein, in the mask material layer, a ratio (E O2 /E F ) of the etching rate (E O2 ) by the oxygen plasma to the etching rate (E F ) by the SF 6  plasma is 2.0 or more. 
     
     
       9. The mask-integrated surface protective tape according to  claim 7 , wherein a light transmittance of the mask material layer at the wavelength of 10 μm is 80% or less, and a visible light transmittance of the mask material layer at the wavelength of 350 nm to 700 nm is 50% or more. 
     
     
       10. The mask-integrated surface protective tape according to  claim 7 , wherein the mask material layer comprises an acrylate compound having one or two photo-polymerizable carbon-carbon double bonds in the molecule and a content of the acrylate compound is 15% by mass or more.